Time for Swalwell to Start Owning Up to his Record of Legislative Mulligans

CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | ANALYSIS | Rep. Eric Swalwell is for extending unemployment insurance, which is nice. But, why didn’t he righteously stand for over 1.3 million out-of-work Americans the first time around when he voted for a short-term budget proposal that noticeably did not include renewed funding for unemployment benefits?

This week, Swalwell said without a hint of pretense, he is now a major defender of restoring these benefits. “I came to Congress to fight for families like these–who worked hard, played by the rules, and lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” he said. Swalwell then plumbed a prime quote in a column last week by the Washington Post‘s Dana Milbank, who triumphantly portrayed him saying,“I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3824 to end the Republicans’ refusal to extend unemployment benefits that affect 355,000.”

All this common man bluster, however, is designed to deceive voters in the 15th Congressional District, make them believe Swalwell is in their corner, when in fact, he’s merely taking all sides of an issue. Swalwell now says “Extending unemployment benefits is the right thing to do and makes economic sense. Failure to extend emergency unemployment insurance will cost the economy 240,000 jobs this year.” Conversely, when fellow East Bay Rep. Barbara Lee was confronted with the House budget compromise, she voted no and called leaving unemployment benefits on the table “morally wrong” and “economically stupid.”

In addition, Swalwell’s latest publicity push now features 20 other House Democrats who also support extending unemployment insurance. However, in December, the group Swalwell professes to lead, a bipartisan group of freshman representatives called the United Solutions Caucus, sidestepped the issue. Are we to gather a moderate Swalwell who reaches across the aisle to solve problems, including whether an out-of-work American will eat tonight, actually means turning his back on the least fortunate and siding with Republicans? Whether Swalwell is a “flip-flopper,” a politician without a moral compass, a casualty of the House Democratic leadership or a victim of his own naivete, he has played this game of obfuscation before.

Last February, Swalwell voted for the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which allows the government access to your personal Web histories. (Read “Swalwell’s Finger to the Wind Relationship with Private Rights”) You may recall, some of the biggest Internet sites went dark for a day in protest of the bill. However, in May, Edward Snowden pulled back the veil on the National Security Agency’s prying eyes and the issue of privacy became the story of the year. In July, an amendment tucked inside a defense appropriation bill contained a prohibition on the NSA’s policy of collecting wholesale cell phone records of innocent Americans. Swalwell, of course, was now all for the amendment and took to social media to express his strong support for privacy rights.

On both occasions, Swalwell was offered a fortuitous mulligan to retake shots that swung wildly to right. However, if you listen to how the local corporate media tells it, the past votes never happened. There is nothing to see here. The young congressman shows up for public meetings and uses Skype to speak to City Councils, they repeat like a drumbeat. According to them, Swalwell never voted against unemployment insurance and he never voted for government intrusion in your private lives.

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Thank you Steven . Keep posting the truth. All the major newspapers in the Bay Area are owned by ultra-conservative right wingers. None of them have independent journalists. They all follow the company line and do what they are told to do.

Anon above is definitely a Swalwell staffer. Come Jan 1st of next year that staffer will be out of work and looking for unemployment benefits. Our new Congresswoman will be Ellen Corbett, and most of us can't wait for the progressive change.

p.s. Try and stay on topic of Swalwell flip flopping and sticking it to 1.3 million Americans by cutting off their unemployment benefits during the Holiday season and then bragging about it. In contrast Barbara Lee did the right thing and voted against the cut.

Wow, I don't live or work or in the district (cue you calling me a Swalwell staffer) I just find it funny that nobody points the same vitriolic guns at Nancy Pelosi or George Miller. My only takeaway here is that you dislike Swalwell, not for his votes (identical to Pelosi/miller), but because he dared to take on the party establishment. Based on the trach record of those who comment on these posts(see all comments in favor of Stark pre 2012 election, I am confident Swalwell will survive and thrive.

Post at 8:46 definitely a Swalwell staffer. Swalwell could of voted like Barbara Lee. Instead, he bragged about cutting off the benefits of 1.3 million Americans and 200,000 veterans at Christmas time. Don't criticize Steven, criticize Swalwell. He was heartless and showed no remorse. My family will be voting for Ellen Corbett because of this. Maybe Swalwell will see the error of his ways when he's unemployed.

Person who wants to have coffee with me: You're telling me I do such a fantastic job of covering issues in this area, but I fail miserably about one guy, Eric Swalwell, the guy you support. Unfortunately for you and your agenda, my insights into his first year in Congress are impeccable and, in fact, the only credible coverage in the area.

Wow, I don't live or work or in the district (cue you calling me a Swalwell staffer) I just find it funny that nobody points the same vitriolic guns at Nancy Pelosi or George Miller. My only takeaway here is that you dislike Swalwell, not for his votes (identical to Pelosi/miller), but because he dared to take on the party establishment. Based on the trach record of those who comment on these posts(see all comments in favor of Stark pre 2012 election, I am confident Swalwell will survive and thrive.

Post at 8:39 definitely a Swalwell troll/staffer. Swalwell could of voted like Barbara Lee. Instead, he bragged about cutting off the benefits of 1.3 million Americans and 200,000 veterans at Christmas time. Don't criticize Steven, criticize Swalwell. He was heartless and showed no remorse. My family will be voting for Ellen Corbett because of this. Maybe Swalwell will see the error of his ways when he's unemployed.

Anon2:52—–with sexists like you supporting Eric Swalwell, Ellen Corbett will win for sure. Didn't know we had a Tea Party dinosaur left in the District. She has more balls than the flip flopping, say one thing do another Congressman. Voted for him last time, but it's Congresswoman Ellen Corbett this time.

Thank you Steven . Keep posting the truth. All the major newspapers in the Bay Area are owned by ultra-conservative right wingers. None of them have independent journalists. They all follow the company line and do what they are told to do.

Anon above is definitely a Swalwell staffer. Come Jan 1st of next year that staffer will be out of work and looking for unemployment benefits. Our new Congresswoman will be Ellen Corbett, and most of us can't wait for the progressive change.

p.s. Try and stay on topic of Swalwell flip flopping and sticking it to 1.3 million Americans by cutting off their unemployment benefits during the Holiday season and then bragging about it. In contrast Barbara Lee did the right thing and voted against the cut.

Wow, I don't live or work or in the district (cue you calling me a Swalwell staffer) I just find it funny that nobody points the same vitriolic guns at Nancy Pelosi or George Miller. My only takeaway here is that you dislike Swalwell, not for his votes (identical to Pelosi/miller), but because he dared to take on the party establishment. Based on the trach record of those who comment on these posts(see all comments in favor of Stark pre 2012 election, I am confident Swalwell will survive and thrive.

Post at 9:13, definitely a Swalwell troll/staffer. Swalwell could of voted like Barbara Lee. Instead, he bragged about cutting off the benefits of 1.3 million Americans and 200,000 veterans at Christmas time. Don't criticize Steven, criticize Swalwell. He was heartless and showed no remorse. My family will be voting for Ellen Corbett because of this. Maybe Swalwell will see the error of his ways when he's unemployed.

My daughters and I are going to be celebrating all night long at his re-election victory.

Wondering if Whorbett will be as fucked-up as Fortney or whether she'll make her concession call. Needs to be gracious in defeat–if she's even a candidate. Don't think she has the 'balls' to run. Oh well.

Anon above——-with sexists like you supporting Eric Swalwell, Ellen Corbett will win for sure. Didn't know we had a Tea Party dinosaur left in the District. She has more balls than the flip flopping, say one thing do another Congressman. Voted for him last time, but it's Congresswoman Ellen Corbett this time.

Shame on Swalwell for cutting off benefits for 1.3 million Americans. The extension of federal benefits was started by Bush and continued by both parties when the unemployment rate was this high.

It's about real people, people with families struggling to meet mortgage payments, struggling to put food on the table, to make ends meet, and includes 200,000 military veterans among those folk who are losing their benefits.

This is why my friends and I will be voting for Ellen Corbett this year….she has a heart and cares about the 90% of us who aren't rich too. Shame on Swalwell.

So stoked about Eric, now that he has the Ellison endorsement! Really had to be earned. I'm with him for sure.

My daughters and I are going to be celebrating all night long at his re-election victory.

Wondering if Whorbett will be as fucked-up as Fortney or whether she'll make her concession call. Needs to be gracious in defeat–if she's even a candidate. Don't think she has the 'balls' to run. Oh well.

Thank you Steven . Keep posting the truth. All the major newspapers in the Bay Area are owned by ultra-conservative right wingers. None of them have independent journalists. They all follow the company line and do what they are told to do.

Anon above is definitely a Swalwell staffer. Come Jan 1st of next year that staffer will be out of work and looking for unemployment benefits. Our new Congresswoman will be Ellen Corbett, and most of us can't wait for the progressive change.

p.s. Try and stay on topic of Swalwell flip flopping and sticking it to 1.3 million Americans by cutting off their unemployment benefits during the Holiday season and then bragging about it. In contrast Barbara Lee did the right thing and voted against the cut.

So stoked about Eric, now that he has the Ellison endorsement! Really had to be earned. I'm with him for sure.

My daughters and I are going to be celebrating all night long at his re-election victory.

Wondering if Whorbett will be as fucked-up as Fortney or whether she'll make her concession call. Needs to be gracious in defeat–if she's even a candidate. Don't think she has the 'balls' to run. Oh well.

Anon above——-with sexists like you supporting Eric Swalwell, Ellen Corbett will win for sure. Didn't know we had a Tea Party dinosaur left in the District. She has more balls than the flip flopping, say one thing do another Congressman. Voted for him last time, but it's Congresswoman Ellen Corbett this time.

So stoked about Eric, now that he has the Ellison endorsement! Really had to be earned. I'm with him for sure.

My daughters and I are going to be celebrating all night long at his re-election victory.

Wondering if Whorbett will be as fucked-up as Fortney or whether she'll make her concession call. Needs to be gracious in defeat–if she's even a candidate. Don't think she has the 'balls' to run. Oh well.

So now the Swalwell troll is both sexist and foul mouthed. That says it all and then some. You have used that same post on many different articles. It's shows how extreme you are. With sexists like you backing Swalwell—Ellen Corbett will win for sure. Ellen has authored hundreds of bills that have benefitted the average working man and woman that have become law. Eric has authored ZERO bills that have become law that benefitted the average working man or woman.

Try and stay on topic of Swalwell sticking it to 1.3 million americans by cutting off their unemployment benefits during the Holiday season and then dressing up as Santa. What a joke! I notice when you are losing an argument you always try and change the topic.

Well, our little or should I say BIG Space HO is back. We were certainly hoping that she had left this world for good. Oh, well. Bitch sure had her head handed to her with her loser Whorbett losing out with any hope of an endorsement.

That's the real world smell of Victory that the Swalwell team has going for it.

Shame on Swalwell for cutting off benefits for 1.7 million Americans. The extension of federal benefits was started by Bush and continued by both parties when the unemployment rate was this high.

It's about real people, people with families struggling to meet mortgage payments, struggling to put food on the table, to make ends meet, and includes 200,000 military veterans among those folk who are losing their benefits.

This is why my friends and I will be voting for Ellen Corbett this year….she has a heart and cares about the 90% of us who aren't rich too. Shame on Swalwell.

Shame on Swalwell for cutting off benefits for 1.7 million Americans. The extension of federal benefits was started by Bush and continued by both parties when the unemployment rate was this high.

It's about real people, people with families struggling to meet mortgage payments, struggling to put food on the table, to make ends meet, and includes 200,000 military veterans among those folk who are losing their benefits.

This is why my friends and I will be voting for Ellen Corbett this year….she has a heart and cares about the 90% of us who aren't rich too. Shame on Swalwell.

Shame on Swalwell for cutting off benefits for 1.7 million Americans. The extension of federal benefits was started by Bush and continued by both parties when the unemployment rate was this high.

It's about real people, people with families struggling to meet mortgage payments, struggling to put food on the table, to make ends meet, and includes 200,000 military veterans among those folk who are losing their benefits.

This is why my friends and I will be voting for Ellen Corbett this year….she has a heart and cares about the 90% of us who aren't rich too. Shame on Swalwell.